What's Really in the Government's UAP Files?
A journey inside the "disclosure" movement seeking to reveal that the government is hiding alien technology
Technology
Midterms 2026: Data Centers Out, Reproductive Freedom In
Voters also rejected automated license plate readers, and the idea of transgender girls playing on girls' sports teams in schools.
How Capitalism Quietly Revolutionized Everyday Life
Virginia Postrel discusses the forgotten innovations behind modern conveniences, why discontent drives progress, and the political forces resisting change.
Ohio Leads a Wave of Local Data Center Bans
Voters resoundingly approved data center bans on Tuesday, often in towns where no centers exist or are planned.
Russia Wants To Censor Americans. Why Are U.S. Tech Companies Helping?
The GRANITE Act could take some pressure off tech companies, who may often decide that the effort to fight foreign censorship demands just isn’t worth it.
You Can See Everything, Halloween Costumes, Mary Peltola
In this Halloween special, Robby Soave and Christian Britschgi review Nathan Fielder's documentary about convicted fraudster Elizabeth Holmes.
Leaked Files Reveal ICE Liaisons to U.S. Military Commands With Access to Surveillance Tech
ICE has people attached to the U.S. military headquarters in charge of Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and special operations. They're listed as users of Palantir-provided surveillance systems.
The Untold Story Behind the Race for the Atomic Bomb
Author Neal Stephenson explores the forgotten history of the atomic bomb, how Big Tech transformed the internet, and the enduring value of the Enlightenment.
Connecticut's New Restrictions on Flock Cameras Highlight the Dearth of Meaningful Privacy Protections
Until recently, the state imposed no limits at all on automated license plate readers, which track the travels of innocent motorists across the country.
Nathan Fielder Made a Dishonest Movie
His Elizabeth Holmes documentary, You Can See Everything, is a deeply unethical piece of filmmaking.
The Man Who Saved the Internet
Plus: How to be more secure in an age of AI hacking, more Trump administration corruption allegations, Virginia Democrat indicted for marijuana scheme, and more...
Britain Wants To Punish Microsoft for Being Too Successful
Britain's regulator says Microsoft's products are “useful,” “secure,” and “good value for money.” Apparently, that’s a problem.
A Months-Old Anti-Robotaxi Group Is Steering Transportation Policy From Albany to D.C.
Even though its claims about job loss and safety don't hold up, the group has convinced the likely next mayor of D.C. to slow Waymo's development.
Meta Is Gifting AI Glasses to Blind Veterans: 'I Got My Independence Back'
Meta's AI glasses carry privacy risks, but for blind veterans, they fill a gap that the government has failed to address.
Nobody Wants To Be the Pro-Tech Candidate in This New York Race That Could Flip the House
Republican incumbent Mike Lawler and Democratic challenger Cait Conley are trying to tie each other to the AI industry and data centers.
The Elizabeth Holmes Documentary You Can See Everything Is an Act of Radical Empathy
The high-concept documentary from Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim offers surprising generosity to a Big Tech villain without fully excusing her crimes.
Posting About This 'Robot Sexual Assault' in Germany Could Be a Crime
Let's unpack the latest dystopian tech news—and German cops' dystopian response.
Other Courts Should Heed a Federal Judge's Warning About Flock-Enabled Mass Surveillance
Car-tracking cameras, like cellphones, generate vast amounts of sensitive data.
SpaceX Found a Way Around the FCC
The company’s spectacular IPO obscured a quieter breakthrough that could transform satellite communications.
Don't Blame AI Labs for What Hackers Do With Their Tools
AI executives are planning for a public revolt after a major attack. A federal power grab is the wrong response.
Anthropic Is Banning 'Cruel Behavior' Toward Claude. Chatbots Are Still Not Your Friends.
The AI company's decision might be a justifiable idea. But it appears it was made for the wrong reason.
The Pentagon Is Eating Silicon Valley
An influx of military spending has been moving tech companies away from serving consumers and back toward chasing government contracts.
An App I'd Never Heard of Told My Patient I Was a Good Surgeon
Giving patients, and markets, more power in the healthcare system leads to better results.
Judge Says Warrantless Flock Search Violated Driver's Fourth Amendment Rights
The automated license plate reader system is “a type of indiscriminate mass surveillance," says a federal judge.
AI Solutions in Search of Problems
Plus: Ketamine deep dive, failed Oura IPO, Ray Dalio's warning, and more...
Federal Court Slaps Down Utah's VPN Restrictions
A judge blocked a rule that would have required adult sites to block VPNs or age-check the world.
Sam Altman Says 'Some Bad Things' Will Happen With AI. That Doesn't Mean We Should Stop It.
Progress has always required accepting risk.
The New Dark Ages Is Long on Alarm, Short on Scientific Literacy
The perils of blaming screens for everything
Who Will Own the Moon?
Property rights in space will attract investment, prevent space serfdom, and allow competition to flourish off-world.
The End of Social Media
Algorithms and short-form video drove engagement. They also made it easier to quit.
The Millennial Internet Is Dead, and Politicians Killed It.
Social media use is declining, and what's left has shifted from conversation to passive scrolling.
Anthropic vs. the Pope
Plus: The rape case and porn, cornrow canceling, and more...
Trump Wants AI Companies To Police Themselves. His FTC Isn't Waiting.
While the White House settles for a voluntary accord, the Federal Trade Commission is preparing subpoena-like demands and plans to compel testimony from frontier lab executives.
Your Right to Privacy Doesn't Disappear When You're in Public
Defenders of Flock-style surveillance systems argue that people “have no reasonable expectation of privacy in public.” They're wrong.
AI-Powered Concierge Government
Plus: FlyDubai flight to Tel Aviv forced to emergency-land, ICE hiring surge, and more...
Kids Are Using NPR Podcast Comments as Secret Group Chats
Teenagers barred from social media are turning obscure corners of the internet into makeshift chat rooms.
TikTok's $100 Million Settlement With Alabama Is No Win for the Public
TikTok must implement several new "safety" features, including time limits for kids and strict age-verification measures.
Seattle's 'Surveillance Pricing' Ban Is a Solution Searching for a Problem
The city's ordinance targets price gouging that its own evidence doesn't show—and it could kill discounts that save shoppers money.
Data Centers and Their Discontents
Plus: Talarico and black turnout, an artist trial at the Vatican, hospitals use AI (for ill), and more...
Is AI Going To Wipe Out Humanity? Don't Build That Bunker Yet.
Measures to slow AI development are more likely to trigger human lawsuits against AI companies than accomplish anything useful.
Half the Public Wants To Pause AI. Would Regulation Actually Make It Safer?
A new poll finds widespread support for slowing advanced AI, but government controls could create risks of their own.
Scan Your Face To Enter Your Dorm? University of Kentucky Installs Facial Recognition Tech Around Campus
The rationale for AI facial scanning—to prevent bad actors from following students into buildings—makes little sense.
Homeland Security Is Monitoring Activists Building Anti-Flock Tech
SparrowMap uses volunteer cameras to track the police in the same way police track the public. The government considers it a potential threat.
The 'AI Safety' Movement Is Making AI Less Safe
The fear of superintelligence is driving decisions that make AI less transparent and more consolidated.
California Wants to Write America's AI Rules
Newsom's expert panel has two months to consider new AI rules, including "kill switches," that could spread nationwide.
No Warrant, No Suspicion, No Problem: Flock and Border Cellphone Searches Excluded From 4th Amendment Rules
Cops keep carving out tech exceptions to the Fourth Amendment—and courts are giving them their blessing.
AI Companies Promise Humanoid Assistants. How Will the Robots Know What To Do?
Developers are using videos of real-life work to train the new generation of robots.
